Tamariki can learn a great deal through the use of loose parts — materials that are open-ended and can be manipulated, combined, and transformed in various ways. Loose parts promote creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking, making them an ideal tool for early childhood education.

Little loose parts engage learning through:

 Open-ended resources - tamariki can be creative and expressive; use their imaginations; there is no ‘right’ way to create with these objects

 Developing fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination; spatial awareness and understanding - fitting things together and taking them apart; rearranging objects and materials

 Noticing and creating patterns; counting and measuring; making comparisons; classifying and sorting - all part of numeracy

 Being involved in sustained play - kaiako ensure that there are long periods of uninterrupted time to create and to revisit prior learning

 Discovering the joy of their own composition and designs